Because Memories Bleed
by Suzume Tori
Summary: What if there were second chances? Would you take them? Shinji has a chance to change one thing in his past. What will he do? Warning: I don't know where this is going; it might turn out 2 b a yaoi. I only rated it PG13 because *I* don't even know where i


Konnichiwa!!! Arighties, minna, this is the biggining. A sort of teaser. Um, I think they're called prolouges, but I don't want to run spell check right now. I hope it isn't too demented. I wrote it. Oh, and I don't own the characters or anything. They all belong to other people, and as for those lucky people, I'd like them to know that I'd worship their-  
  
Uh, anyway, on with the durned story. Hope you like it. Please review it ^_^  
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Shinji stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel. After drying himself, he shrugged into his uniform – a boring, startched, blank shirt and a set of worn, black pants. He left his plugsuit in a crumpled heap on the floor, knowing that some underling or janitor would pick it up and clean it anyways. Probably go to a meauseum. Or something. Now that the angels were finished. But he didn't care. Not really. In the light that it might be given to a meauseum, Shinji kicked it, hoping he'd never see it again.  
  
If he only knew.   
  
Slowly, he ran a comb through his tangled hair. Unsurprizingly, he didn't feel the warm, damp air surrounding him, or the droplets of water that flew onto his shoulder as he wrestled with a particularly stubborn snarl. The teenaged ex-pilot just wanted to get out of this great, technological grave of a basement. Snaching up his knapsack, he spat on the tiled floor.  
  
And walked out of his life.  
***  
  
Shinji passed a note to Asuka.  
  
"When is the freakin' teacher going to shut up already?"  
  
Unbenownst to them, the teacher saw the incriminating slip of paper as it was handed to the recipient. However, he continued to teach. The requirements for this job were patience, being good with teenagers, a great need of money, and leniency. Loads of it.  
  
And algebra continued on.  
***  
  
A small child reached up to press her supple palm to the glass display case. Her mother 'shush'ed dissaprovingly, muttering something about not leaving fingerprints for everyone to see. Within the case was a suit worn by the world-renowned saivior, Ikari. To have even seen it was an honor. The mother and scientist was about to usher her daughter to the next display when a photo of the piolot caught her eye. A collection of photos, actually, which was unspoken of, because Nerve did it's very best to discourage nosy reporters. But unlike the display of photos near the other pilot's suits (Many were extremely curious about the handful of nude pictures of the one and only German wonder… how on EARTH did someone manage THAT?!) where the pilots offered smiles and victory signs, (and in Rei's case, small, quiet grins)…  
  
Shinji was frowning. A silent, gentle frown, but a frown all the same. Not dissaproving, like his father. Just… broken. As if still learning to heal. Scarred. Shattered.Wounds healed and then re-opened. A sort of half-hidden sense of agony, that, when forced out of view, killed any emotion, forming a half-living beast.  
  
Others passed the exibit. The young girl was already straining to reach the next exhibit, even as her mother stood like a stone being before the photos, mesmerized.  
  
And she made her decision.  
***  
  
Rei shuffled slowly along to her apartment, waving only the smallest of waves to Shinji, who, in turn, nodded aknowledgement. And that was all. Asuka clung to Shinji till they reached her street, where she diparted with a dramatic wave and blown kiss to Shinji. The boy jerked his head up and down again, slumping dully to Misato's new apartment.  
  
He didn't notice the eyes of a young woman, probably in her twenties or so, glued to him as he reached the corner of the street, but by the next turn, he was a bit suspicious. Unnerved, he felt a slight prickle at the base of his neck, as all characters in stories do, but ignored it.  
  
3 streets later, he turned to find himself face-to-face with his stalker. The famous boy was half used to it, anyway, and muttered something to the affect of 'no comment', before attempting to move on.  
  
But the female, undaunted, moved in his path.  
  
"I have something for you." She said stiffly, pressing a tiny gadget into his palm. "It's a gift. Because of your photos. And because I owe you. My daughter smudged the glass." With that, the mysterious follower darted off, before Shinji could thank her.  
  
The device was probably a camera. But it didn't really matter.  
  
Slouching degectedly, he put it in his pocket. It was pretty enough; maybe when he got home he could string it on a necklace or something, with some old army tags and dog collers that he had collected over the years.   
  
It was metal, and shaped a bit like a checker-piece, though it was big enough that it filled up his palm. In the center was a collection of symbols, similar to those set into runes, and on the back were pictures clearly depicting the sun and moon. To it's credit, it was a beautiful camera. Wedged between the two representations of day and night was an eye, so well carved that it seemed it was about to move and look at something else, or perhaps blink.  
  
Shinji noticed none of this, merely patting the object buried deep in his pocket.  
***  
  
That's all! If you want more, please review it. Then, based on your reactions, I'll either write some more or wither in shame. ^_~ that's all. Luv u all!   
  
Oh, and as a sort of PS (why can't I just get around to this sort of stuff in the beginning? -_-) This is dedicated to the fanfiction author 'Shinji' (I LUVED Wounded God and Fallen Angel, some must-reads) And Kitty-Mian (gomen if I spelled it wrong) and Kitsune-yasha, and everyone else who know's they're special to me ^_^ Please, don't be insulted if you're not on my list, it just means I'm to lazy to write more names. GOMEN!!!!!!!!   
  
Alrighteys, I'm really leaving now. Must go!!! Ja ne, minna-sama! 


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